New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani faces two criminal referrals alleging he accepted illegal foreign campaign donations. The Coolidge Reagan Foundation filed the complaints with the DOJ and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, citing potential violations of federal and city election laws.
The group said Mamdani’s campaign collected nearly $13,000 from at least 170 foreign donors, including one from his mother-in-law in Dubai. While some donations were refunded, at least $7,190 remains unreturned.
Campaign spokesperson Dora Pekec said some donors are U.S. citizens living abroad and that the campaign has compliance measures to ensure legality.
Mamdani, an avowed socialist, leads polls against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa, despite criticism over his associations with controversial figures.
